Wall's Day Miracle
by Midnight Minute
Summary: Petra could not believe what Levi had said. "I'm doing what exactly, Captain?" With a sigh, Levi responded casually, "The Wall's Day Formal tonight, you're going with me." Petra nodded carefully, "As in like a...?" Levi looked up at her, watching her pointedly, "As in like an order. It starts at eight, so I'll meet you at seven thirty. Don't be late." (A Christmas/Holiday Piece)
1. Chapter 1

**Hello SnK readers, Midnight here!**

**So Christmas and all the other holidays (depending on what you celebrate) is right around the corner! I always have loved it when authors that I follow release a special Christmas piece they wrote simply for the holiday season, so I wanted to do that this year for my readers!**

**I wanted to write this special holiday piece for SnK because that's the series I'm stuck on right now! After a lot of thought and talks with friends who watch the show, I was able to create what I believe would be their version of Christmas. I don't per say claim 'rights' on this made up holiday, but if its something you want to work with, tell me so I can appreciate the fact that my writing (hopefully) inspires others out there!**

**Anyhow, this is my gift to you this year! Merry whatever you celebrate – get some cocoa, pull up a blanket, and enjoy the read. Stay safe this coming year, and as always, thanks for reading!**

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><p>"<em>Dearest Father,<em>

_It's the Eve of All Walls Day again, so I can safely say that I hope you have a Merry Walls Day this year! The holiday season seemed to come so quickly this time around, didn't it? I've been so busy with my military duties; I haven't even had time to do any shopping yet! Not that I have too much shopping anyway though. I'd like to get a trinket or two for my squad mates and maybe the Captain – but most of all I want to make sure that you get everything on your wish list to the Goddesses, so let me know okay?"_

Petra continued writing to her father, expressing her excitement for the upcoming season. All Walls Day had always been her favorite holiday; it was one of the few government-approved celebrations where many people had the day off to spend with their families and enjoy all the good that was left in humanity.

All Walls Day had originated as a religious holiday, documenting when the goddesses had come to Earth and built the three walls for protection - a gift that had spared humanity from a grim fate. In turn, it was traditionally celebrated every December by families giving each other gifts and writing wish lists to the Goddesses for further blessings. It was a time marked with gratefulness that humanity was able to survive another year.

While not everyone believed in the Goddesses and the religious meaning behind the holiday, it was still a joyful time at the end of the year that many people, Petra included, looked forward to. In a time of constant fear and uncertainty, All Walls Day was a source of hope and joy.

Finishing up her letter, Petra slid it inside a small white envelope, hoping that somehow her father would feel all her love upon receiving it. Setting the letter in her desk for the day's mail pickup, Petra moved out of her room and to the kitchen to start the day's preparations.

Setting to work on the coffee, Petra hummed a holiday tune to herself while she worked. While this wasn't her first holiday season spent as a member of the Scout Regiment, it was her first Walls Day on Team Levi, meaning that unlike previous years, she wouldn't have to spend the holiday alone. She wasn't silly enough to believe they would sit around a fire and sing songs or eat dinner together, but just the fact that the day would be spent with her comrades, that would be enough.

As she began grabbing small coffee mugs from the cabinet, she heard noise in the adjacent dining room. Peering out from the doorway, Petra gave a warm smile, "Good morning Captain, Merry Walls Eve!"

If Levi had heard her, he didn't make any acknowledgement of her greeting and sat down at his usual spot at the table. Not surprised by his lack of response, (the Captain was hardly a morning person) Petra continued, deciding that to start the day, she would make the coffee a bit special.

Rummaging through the supply closet, Petra grabbed the small containers of cinnamon and cocoa powder. The Scout Regiment was not exactly well funded, so she was always careful about how much she used in the kitchen, but today was a special occasion. Grabbing a bit of cream, Petra whisked it into the coffee, adding the cocoa and cinnamon slowly as she stirred, taking care that she didn't add so much that it became bitter and overbearing.

Taking a sip of her creation, Petra smiled warmly. Usually in the mornings she prepared basic black coffee with just a bit of sugar to help cut the bitterness of the drink, but today the coffee tasted sweet, creamy, and festive. It was sure to be a good start to what would certainly be a good day. Carefully bringing out the mugs of the prepared coffee into the dining room, Petra sat down, greeting her teammates who had gathered at the table in the past few minutes.

"Good Morning everyone!" Petra greeted as she sat down, "Merry Walls Eve!"

Eld nodded back at her, "Merry Walls Eve to you too. You seem in good spirits Petra."

Giving a bright smile, Petra grabbed a mug and pulled it up slowly, enjoying the warmth of the porcelain, "Yeah. I've always loved this time of year."

"I can tell," Eld responded good-naturedly, grabbing a mug of coffee as well, "It shows in the coffee alone. Is that cinnamon? I can smell it from here."

Petra nodded, glad that her work was being appreciated, "Yep. Nothing too fancy, just something a bit out of the ordinary you know? It's got extra sugar, a bit of cream, cocoa and cinnamon."

"Well done!" Eld responded after taking a drink, "You'll have to make it like this more often, this is really good."

"Nope," Petra insisted stubbornly, "It's special just for the holidays. We can't afford to burn through spices like that, so if you want more, you'll have to wait till next year."

"Well, on topic of the holidays - and this is very good by the way Petra-" Gunther spoke up, "Do we have any tasks to complete today Captain?"

Petra nodded her head in thanks at Gunther, turning her attention toward Levi. The Captain nodded, "Well, because of the holidays, higher ups have requested the Scout Regiment stay in Wall Sina for the time being to enjoy the end of the year with the noblemen and other regiments." Levi sighed, "So, while it's unfortunate that the holidays are cutting into our normal routine, I think it best if we use our time productively and run drills until the Walls Day Formal tonight."

Aururo snorted, and Petra found she was mildly surprised that he had managed to stay quiet for so long, "Running drills all day on Walls Eve? Sounds like you really are a festive fanatic there Levi. Gotta tone down on that holiday cheer, it might just top Petra's merry coffee blend."

Opening her mouth to berate him for his unneeded sarcasm, Petra took a breath, though Levi beat her to the punch, "I could care less really. What good is a holiday if humanity doesn't exist? Besides, I don't want my squad to drop in skill because you guys have gorged yourselves into fat pigs. Today, we run drills."

Petra frowned. Though she would never speak against the Captain's orders, she was hoping that they might get a bit of free time today. She did in fact want to go into the city and buy gifts for everyone, and she still had to get a dress for tonight as well.

Each year the government held a large party in Wall Sina for the military and noblemen. It was a way for the government to thank the active military members, as well as a time of remembrance for those that had been lost throughout the year. While it wasn't hard to have all military members attend – it was the biggest celebration of the year – attendance was technically mandatory. The only issue for Petra was that the Walls Day Formal was a black tie event. Being in the military meant she didn't exactly have a lot of time to go shopping for such trivial things, which left her having to figure things out last minute.

Likely having seen her downcast expression as she regarded their situation, Aururo turned to her, "Oh don't worry about Levi's choice, Petra dearest. I heard that people who make their subordinates work on Walls Eve have their own grim fate to worry about. Supposedly, the three spirits of Maria, Rose, and Sina will visit them in the middle of the night and show them their past, present, and future. If you don't choose to be a holly jolly, Wall-loving citizen from then on, you _die_!"

Having heard enough, Petra rolled her eyes, "Oh shut up and drink your stupid coffee. You shouldn't joke like that; no one is impressed when you try to act cool like the Captain."

Aururo snickered, "Ah, but brown nosing won't add kills to your record Petra, remember that."

"Enough." Levi spoke up, grabbing his coffee finally and drinking it quietly while Petra gave a small huff, reminding herself to ignore her outspoken teammate as best as possible.

"Considering no one seems overly thrilled about running drills today, does anyone else have any better ideas?" Levi asked, continuing to drink his coffee while waiting for a response.

Gunther spoke first, "I won't say it's a better idea per say, but I have personal things I am hoping to attend to, if possible. As always however, I will follow orders if given."

Levi nodded and moved his attention to Eld, who gave a light shrug, "It's Walls Eve, and I have family here in Wall Sina. It's been a long while since I've been able to enjoy spending time with them. I'd be back before the formal, but I wouldn't have time to visit if we have duties throughout the day."

"And I've got to find a date for the formal tonight." Aururo smirked, glancing across the room at Petra, who rolled her eyes, "Not like that will take too long though. Lots of ladies would love to go with me. I'll probably have to take more than one in fact, you'll see."

Petra tried not to snort, though she was amused by his arrogance none the less.

"And you Petra?"

She looked at Levi, a small smile painting her lips innocently, "Well, I do love Walls Day. I was hoping to get some shopping done. That is of course, if everyone will be here together tomorrow. If not then, I guess it wouldn't matter if we ran drills."

Levi nodded, looking around at his team, "Alright then, we run drills, but only after Walls Day is over."

Petra smiled fully, fighting the urge to leap across the table and hug him.

Levi continued, "The following morning after Walls Day I expect you all here, prepared for serious work at seven a.m. sharp. We are going to make up for these two days, mark my words."

Various words of gratitude and holiday wishes were said and everyone quickly bustled out of the room to set off on their own agendas. Soon, only Levi and Petra remained.

Petra busied herself with clearing up the used coffee cups in a hurried fashion, drinking the small amount that was left. She wanted to finish up as soon as possible and head into town to make the most of the day. Childish or not, she could not deny how excited she was to have some real time to enjoy the holiday. While being on such an advanced squad was certainly an honor, personal time was almost always sacrificed for further training, and was rarely given so freely – holiday or not.

As she rinsed out the coffee cups, Petra spoke up to ensure Levi would be able to hear her past the running water, "So if I can ask Captain, what are your holiday plans?"

"I don't really plan anything special for the holidays – the government does enough of that for me," he responded simply.

Petra looked over toward Levi, "Most people are thrilled to get invited to the formal, but then I suppose if parties aren't your thing then-"

"They aren't." Levi stated factually, tipping the coffee cup higher as he drank it, finishing off the cup.

Petra couldn't help but find his response amusing. For most military members, the formal was something that was anticipated for months in advance; who was going with who, what was the theme, which dresses the girls were going to wear- but she suspected Levi was not the type to value such lavish events in the first place.

Levi stood up from the table, holding his empty cup, and moved into the kitchen. A comfortable silence filled the room as Petra rinsed and began setting the cups for drying.

Levi stood beside her, looking down at her slightly. "The formal, do you have plans set?"

Petra laughed warmly, moving to a lower cabinet to grab a dish towel. Grabbing the first mug and drying off the residual water, she set the mug down and set to work on the next, "Hardly. No offense Captain, but you've kept us so busy I've hardly had any time at all to prepare for the holiday, let alone something like the Walls Day Formal."

Levi nodded, "Time well spent at least." He set his cup down in the sink, then crossed his arms and slouched against the counter, "You'll accompany me tonight."

Petra couldn't help but noticeably jolt at his words, the dishes clinking loudly in the sink after one slipped from her hands.

"I'm doing what exactly, Captain?" Petra stuttered in shock, physically understanding what Levi said, though not quite able to take it in fully.

"The Walls Day Formal, you're going with me." Levi repeated in a casual manner, as though he were discussing the weather or some other bland, uninteresting topic.

"As in, like a…?" The word that she wanted to say was 'date' though she found that she couldn't speak the word aloud.

"As in, like an order." Levi inserted with a note of finality, "It starts at eight, so I'll meet you here at seven thirty. That should leave enough time to get there."

"I – I…" Petra stammered, not sure how to get out the right words. It was common for military personal to bring dates – hell, she'd even go as far as to say it was expected as there were very few people that didn't, but for events like this, a girl was _asked_ to go, not told, and _certainly_ not ordered.

"I can't." Petra finished lamely; feeling like her heart would beat right out of her chest if given the opportunity. If she were being honest with herself, she _did_ admire the young captain, perhaps more than she should, and going as his date, romantic or otherwise, was just a bit much for her.

"Is that so?" Levi stated, his voice still lacking any real interest, "You've never questioned my leadership before."

"No it's not that, I mean…You have to take someone else!"

"Someone else? Certainly you aren't referring to Aururo…" Levi asked with a quirked eyebrow, looking confused, as though she were the one spouting out nonsense and not him.

Getting tongue tied even further, Petra could feel her face flushing, which only added to her dismay, "No that's not - I really shouldn't have – I mean, why me, exactly?"

Levi grabbed the towel from her, re-drying a mug she had placed down before looking it over and setting it in the cupboard, "You are my subordinate; it only makes sense you'd accompany me as a member of my squad."

Petra scoffed internally. _No_, that did not make sense at all. Because of their difference in rank, that was all the more reason to _not_ go together, actually. Also, with the fact that she was the only female that reported directly under Levi, their relationship was already suspicious enough. She didn't want to send the wrong message to the other party-goers by going as his escort.

Levi continued, breaking her thoughts, "Do you prefer not to be around me?"

"No no, that's not it at all!" Petra squeaked in protest.

"Alright then, I'll be here at seven thirty." Levi folded the towel neatly and handed it back to Petra, not at all seeming to note her rather obvious hesitance. "Between now and then, I have things to get accomplished while you Deck-the-Walls-merriment-seekers enjoy _holiday_ cheer." He spoke the word 'holiday' like a curse, before adding in, "I'll be speaking with Erwin if anyone needs me."

Levi pushed off the counter slowly, giving Petra a curt nod, before walking off toward the doorway.

Trying to once again gather her words, Petra stuttered further, "Uh… yeah, um, I'll let the squad know…"

Only after she was sure that Levi was far out of sight did she allow herself a small glare to the heavens, wondering if this was a higher power's bad attempt at a Walls Day miracle, or if she was in fact just that unlucky.

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><p>.<p>

It was hours later that Petra found herself staring into a mirror self-consciously, trying to pin up her hair in some intricate fashion while eyeing the time warily.

She had about fifteen minutes before she was supposed to meet up with Levi.

Letting out a nervous sigh, Petra moved over to her desk, grabbing out the various small containers of makeup she had managed to find in town. Having been a soldier for most of her life, she hadn't found it necessary to invest in things like makeup, but she did have a steady hand and felt she wouldn't have too much difficulty with the products.

Carefully dusting her face with a tinted powder, Petra wondered what the night would have in store. Was Levi just expecting her to walk in the party with him, or did he expect her to stay with him the whole time, like an actual date? She would hate to assume the former and offend him by leaving. On the other hand, she didn't want to be annoying and stick around all night if he really just wanted to be alone. A mental image of Levi endlessly glaring at her came to mind, and Petra couldn't help but feel mortified as a sense of dread washed over her.

This was certainly not how she had envisioned spending All Walls Eve. She had imagined she would have gotten dressed up, sure, but the evening would have been light-hearted and fun. She would have easily spent the night dancing with her teammates or other military friends. She wanted to mingle and catch up with any remaining friends enlisted in other regiments, and talk about something other than death and titans. Now, however, all she could imagine was awkwardly hanging around Levi who was certain to make her far too self-conscious to relax and too nervous to be able to say anything even mildly intelligent. She had originally thought that after the party, she would stay up late until All Walls Day. She planned on making more coffee for the squad to enjoy, but now she was seriously contemplating crawling back to her room to hide as soon as the event was over.

Why did Levi even want her to go with him anyway? He had never seemed to treat her as anything other than his subordinate, and even his 'invitation' today had been done from a standpoint as her commanding officer but…

_"It really would be helpful if he was a bit less cryptic sometimes,"_ Petra decided inwardly with slight frustration, setting the powder aside and continuing to prepare for the evening.

After a few more minutes of primping, Petra huffed, frowning as she looked into the mirror. Surely he understood that this was not a normal request! It was not _normal_ for a commanding officer to order someone to do things that had nothing to do with the military. Sure he could order the squad to train, or clean, or a number of different things, but social behavior at a party? Surely that crossed some sort of line, right?

Besides, it had been difficult enough for her to keep things strictly professional on her end. Whatever term be stamped to it, she did highly admire Levi. She had known of him through whispers on the wind when she first joined the Scout Regiment. She had heard he was a perfect soldier. Untouchable. Humanity's Strongest. His very name held great respect amongst their ranks even then. She could still remember being thoroughly shocked when she received orders of an internal transfer to the Special Ops Team– shocked even further when she heard it was Levi himself who picked each member. Granted she was the best on her squad, but to be chosen by Captain Levi himself? She vowed then and there that she would live up to that great honor. She knew she would never be as good as Levi – but she was determined to prove to him as many times as it took, that he was not wrong in picking her.

Somewhere between trying prove her worth as a member of the Special Ops Squad and learning to bring her skills further up to par, something had shifted. She couldn't exactly point to when, but what had started as admiring his strength as a leader morphed into something more; something that couldn't so easily be labeled.

The odd thing was that under any other circumstance, she would have been thrilled about going out with him. If Levi had asked her to go, she would have said yes without a moment's hesitation. That was the problem though.

He hadn't asked. He'd _told_ her.

Plus, his reasons seemed anything but heartfelt; she doubted it was personal at all. That was perhaps what bothered her the most. She wanted it to mean something to him. She wanted him to think of her and _feel_ something. She wanted him to be lost in thought about her eyes, or her smile, or toss and turn at night wondering if she cared for him too. She knew it was too much to ask, and she knew it was a foolish dream, but it was a beautiful dream none the less, and one that she held fast to.

Grabbing the black stick of kohl, Petra outlined her eyes and dusted on some neutral shaded eye shadow. Aside from her frustration about how the evening was starting, to make matters worse she was fairly nervous. She had never dressed up around her team before. Actually, she was used to being seen in her absolute worst. They had all seen each other slick with sweat, dirty from the expeditions, bloody from battle – not to mention having to smell each other on the way back home. In fact, that was the norm. While Levi was known for being a neat freak in their particular division, some things were inevitable.

Taking another long look at herself in the mirror, Petra bit her lip in contemplation._ She_ thought she looked nice. She had managed to find a green cocktail dress that fit her nicely and was still affordable. It hugged her curves but was still classy and elegant. If she had her way, she would have worn a pair of strappy heels to make her short little legs have just a bit more length to them, however with the knowledge she was going with Levi, she made sure to find a nice pair of flats instead.

Petra grabbed her tinted chap stick – lipstick was just a bit too expensive she found – and applied that, careful to not smudge any onto her teeth. Shooting herself a smile, Petra reviewed her reflection once more.

Her hair was pulled up, curled slightly in a fashion that hinted at elegance, her eyes were lined and her lips were sheen and pink. The dress did in fact fit her well. Green was a good color for her, and all things considered, she felt the color appropriate for the occasion. Her stomach churned nervously as she looked herself over in the mirror. In some twisted sense she was dressing up _for_ her Captain, and that knowledge was hard to swallow . Petra groaned at her bad luck, unable to stop an embarrassed red hue from spreading over her face under her blush as she pondered the idea.

_…_What if he thought she was ugly? While she couldn't see him ever saying such a horrible thing – though with Levi one could never be sure – she was hoping that perhaps, just maybe, he might say something nice. Despite herself, Petra gave a small sarcastic laugh. That really _would_ be a Walls Day Miracle, for Petra could not once, _not even once,_ remember Levi paying her a single compliment.

Taking a deep breath, Petra put her things away before slipping on her matching flats and, after a moment of gaining her courage, she closed the door behind her and started walking down the hallway.

_Why_ was she doing this? Why had she spent so much time getting ready, going through the emotional ringer, all for a stupid Captain who clearly was treating this as just another military transaction? Petra let her mind continue in sarcasm – _that's right_, because Levi pulled rank and ordered she go. Was that even legal?

"Petra."

She heard Levi's voice before she saw him. She had been so lost in her thoughts that his voice had taken her by surprise, especially considering she was expecting to meet him _not_ right outside her door. Schooling her expression, Petra turned slowly to the voice that had come from behind her.

There stood Levi, slouching against the wall by her doorway, looking down at the floor with no readable expression. Taking a small moment to observe him, Petra wasn't sure why she was so surprised to see him in a suit. Dressing up was just as mandatory as the attendance, but still. Petra was shocked at just how well formal wear looked on him. The well cut angles of the attire accented his sharp facial bones and the black attire highlighted his pale skin. Petra noticed that instead of a tie, he wore his trademark cravat.

"You're late." He stated after a moment, standing up fully and putting his hands in his pockets as he approached her.

Feeling suddenly very small under his gaze, Petra looked around the hall, wondering just how much time had managed to escape her, "Sorry Captain, I guess time just got away from me…"

"No matter." Levi stated in a dismissive tone, "Let's go."

Levi walked at a moderate pace, which took Petra slightly off guard. Not that she had imagined they would start running or break out the 3DM gear to make up the time, but a leisurely stroll? Then again, it wasn't like Levi was looking forward to the party, so there likely wasn't any real rush to get there.

Petra let out a breath at this small revelation, matching him in step as they moved. She knew better than to expect Levi to have a long drawn out conversation with her, but as they moved out of their temporary dorm and into the streets of Sina, she began to wish he would at least say _something._

During the walk, she had opened her mouth a few times, hoping to break the silence, but found she didn't really have anything of value to say. It wasn't that the silence was awkward; it was just that it was supposed to be a day of celebration. They were walking to a _party_, not a memorial service; couldn't the atmosphere just be a little bit more joyful? Or at least a bit less serious?

"Um, so…do you like wearing a suit…?" Petra asked, horror instantly washing over her the moment the words had left her mouth. _A suit?_ Of all the things to say! Petra was inwardly bashing her head against a wall; she should have just stayed quiet!

While Levi was normally very stoic, the question was indeed rather odd, so he looked over slowly at her, confusion clearly defined in his features.

"I… suppose..." Levi stated slowly, his hawk-like gaze unwavering, making the once comfortable silence suddenly unbearable.

Petra could feel her entire face flush a deep red. She laughed slightly, before adding in slowly, "That's good… It would be bad if you didn't, you know, because then you'd be in it all night, and then it would be really…" Petra could no longer make eye contact, instead focusing on the ground, "…uncomfortable."

Levi watched her for an extended moment, silence blanketing them once again as he observed her. "You're strange." he stated factually, pointing toward the upcoming roadway, "We can cut across to the embassy through this courtyard. It should save some time."

Petra followed after Levi, looking around the area he was leading them through. It appeared to be an old church garden of sorts, perhaps even a graveyard, though she couldn't be too certain.

"You sure know your way around out here; I always have to get directions to the embassy each year."

"I used to live around here," Levi stated, "Well, sort of at least."

Petra was instantly curious, though she was able to stop herself from bombarding him with questions. She hadn't heard too much about Levi's life before coming into the Scout Regiment; however the little she had heard was _rather_ interesting. Apparently, Levi's background was quite dark and far from legal. She wasn't sure if he was previously a drug lord, or some violent mob man, but the rumors she heard hinted strongly at a 'troubled' past.

Her gut told her that it was something best left to curiosity. Levi was her Captain – if it was something she needed to know, he would tell her. In fact, the knowledge that he had a past, however good or bad it may have been, didn't really scare her. She had seen, perhaps more than anyone, what Levi was capable of, so it wasn't that hard to visualize him as someone on the darker side of society.

Petra understood all too well the lengths people had to go to simply to survive in the world today. Her father had always held a stable job so she never had to worry about where her next meal would come from, but most were not so fortunate. It was actually when things began getting too tight that Petra started considering signing up for the military. The way she saw it, that would be one less mouth to feed, plus she could help support her father with whatever funds she was able to save. Her father had begged her to reconsider, but Petra felt she owed it to him to at least give it a try.

If it hadn't been for him being able to support and raise her, Petra wasn't sure what her life may have looked like. Being in the military had taught her that she was indeed a survivor, so she wondered if her life would have led to crime or the black market if faced with following the laws or starving to death. She suspected Levi's story was something like that, not outright cruelty, but simply someone doing what they had to in order to survive.

But then again, she could never really be too certain either way.

"It sure is dark…" Petra mumbled, looking around the area and trying to adjust to the growing darkness. When they set out, their way had been lit by lanterns in the streets, but now there was just the moonlight to guide their way.

Levi nodded, "The embassy is just around the corner. You'll see it soon."

True to his word, a few moments later the large building crept into view. Some of her nerves being forgotten as sheer excitement began to take over, Petra smiled widely at the light spilling from the windows and doors. As they neared the edge of the building, she could see hundreds of people through the windows. Some were dancing, some were talking socially, others seemed to be playing games of some sort, and still others were gathered in a line, likely getting food from the large banquet that was prepared each year. The building was decorated with Walls Day bobbles and ribbons, and from what she could see, the government spared no expense on decorating the inside as well.

Petra turned toward Levi, unable to hide her large smile as they neared the front entrance, "The party looks so fun, hurry up!"

Too excited to notice his single raised eyebrow, Petra grabbed Levi's hand, pulling him along as she hurried towards the stairs to join the others. Levi's questioning glance was lost on her, as well as the small smile, almost untraceable, that would have made her heart flutter.

Practically dragging him up the stairs and into the room, Petra stood in the entrance, dropping her hold on Levi and folding her hands in front of herself, taking in all the sights. There was an orchestra playing the carols she had grown up with, the smells wafting from the banquet were mouth-watering, a million lights twinkled in the windows and overhead, and Petra sensed that everyone there was relaxed and looking forward to an evening full of festivities.

"It's disgraceful," Levi stated from behind her as he moved up closer, looking around the area as well, "With how bad off everyone is in the cities, you'd think the royal government would have a better way of allotting their finances than to host a disgustingly over elaborate party like this."

Petra rolled her eyes, some of her excitement dying at his negative words. They rang painfully true. His negativity, however, irked her. Just a moment ago, she felt like she was a kid again and the world was new and kind. Leave it to Levi to pull her crashing back down to Earth.

Turning her attention to him, Petra couldn't help but glare at the Captain, her words clipped, "Fine then. What would you like to do first, _Captain?_"

Levi looked around again, his expression the very definition of boredom, then sighed, "I don't really care. Let's just get out of the doorway."

Following after him, Petra sighed, looking around at all the people having a grand time, then back at Levi, who appeared to be at the very least unimpressed. She frowned in distaste when they stopped along the back wall, joining a crowd of what appeared to be fellow antisocial people that were watching the other party goers with similar bored expressions.

Standing awkwardly while Levi perched himself against the wall, Petra waited foolishly for Levi to do something, even idle chatter about how horrible he thought everyone looked, or how ridiculous the dancers were. To hear whatever he was thinking would have been better than silence, but after minutes began passing by without so much as a word, Petra sighed loudly, also leaning against the back wall and crossing her arms in frustration.

Well, wasn't this just perfect. Her favorite holiday of the year was only hours away, she was at the biggest party of the year and all her friends were having the time of their lives while she was stuck watching it all from the sidelines with Levi, the Walls Day Scrooge.

Petra wasn't sure how long she stood there in silence, but the orchestra played song after song and they stayed rooted in their spot. Petra soon doubted Levi had any intention of moving at all. Shifting her weight from one foot to the other, she decided she would at least try to get him to do something other than decorate the edge of the room like wall paper.

"Captain, the party really would be more fun if we did something…" Petra pressed, looking at the crowd, then back to him, "We could go get food or a drink, or maybe go dance-"

"I don't like dancing." Levi stated pointedly, not even sparing her a glance.

"…Oh." Petra stated, looking down at the ground awkwardly, feeling utterly defeated after being shot down so quickly.

"Petra, is that you?" a familiar voice called.

Looking through the sea of people to find whoever it was that called out to her, Petra smiled, seeing her squad member, "Eld, hi!"

She waited for him to cross through the crowds, and soon he stood in front of her, holding a glass of champagne. Petra looked him over with surprise, "You look so handsome! Enjoying the party?"

Eld looked at her with an odd expression, "Well enough I suppose, but it's you who looks lovely Petra. I'm impressed!" Eld grinned at her slight blush, moving his attention to Levi, "Hello Captain."

Levi gave a nod but no other response and Eld continued, "I'm surprised to see you over here Petra! I mean, I'd expect something like this from Levi, but with how excited you were this morning, I was certain you'd be all a buzz at the formal."

Petra looked over at Levi shyly, uncertain of how to put words to the fact that he had ordered her to go with him. If it hadn't been for that, she would indeed be enjoying the party like any other _normal_ person was doing.

Levi cleared his throat, "She's here with me."

As if somehow putting two and two together, Eld gave a hoarse laugh, "Oh? Well I'm sorry to hear that Petra, good thing I'm here to rescue you. Captain, you wouldn't mind if I took her away for a dance would you?" Eld said with a bright smile as he held out his hand to Petra, "She looks bored to tears."

Petra suppressed a laugh, her tension melting away at having someone to finally interact with.

Levi looked over at him, Eld's large grin causing him to scoff, "Whatever."

Petra reached out and took his hand as Eld whisked her away onto the floor, unable to stop himself from laughing loudly when she sighed pointedly and declared, "Thank you so much."

Eld took his place on the floor as he placed an arm around her, taking the lead as they began gently moving across the floor with the other dancing attendants, "So what's with the Captain?"

Petra groaned loudly, shaking her head, "I have no idea. I don't know if I should be flattered, or freaked out, or what. He told me today that I would 'accompany' him here tonight, and this whole time he's been as conversational as a rock." Petra giggled, "It's pretty awful."

Eld shook his head in amusement, finding the circumstance just as puzzling, "Who knows what goes through his head. That's odd that he ordered you. Is this a date?"

Petra shrugged to the best of her ability, her arms currently in a ballroom stance, "Hell if I know. If it is, he really needs to be taught what it means to take a girl out. Not that I'd expect anything different from him, but I was starting to think he forgot I was there at all."

Eld smiled, "He's a strange one."

Petra couldn't help but appreciate Eld's good nature. She knew better than to think he was trying to steal her away or irritate Levi. While she had a decent relationship with most of her squad mates, her bond with Eld was special. She found he was a pleasant person that she could relax around without things becoming weird or flirtatious. She could never label them as anything even close to romantic, in fact she knew he already had a girl; he liked to talk about her when the days got long. No, Petra could only see him as something like a brother.

Eld had long since developed the habit of watching out for her; he was always careful to make sure that she wasn't overworked and that she was always treated like a lady, regardless of her position among the men in the squad. It was especially moments like this where she was beyond grateful to him. If it hadn't been for his constant watching out for her, who knows how long she would have been confined to the wall.

"Thanks again." Petra stated as the song came to an end, looking over at the wall to see Levi watching them, still looking as bored as ever, "And he's _still_ there." She marveled at the Captain's apparent resolve to have no fun whatsoever.

"Want to go for another song, or something else?"

"Food please." Petra gave a sly smile, looking toward the tables holding what seemed like an endless array of dishes, "I couldn't really get Levi to do anything. Even eating seemed out of the picture."

Leading her off the floor and toward the table, Petra looked at the arrangement of foods, wondering if it was even physically possible to try everything without bursting one's stomach.

As she prepared a plate, Petra was suddenly addressed by a group of her friends that were fellow members of the Scout Regiment.

"Petra! Hey, over here!"

Petra looked over, waiving at her friends, "Lily, June! Hold on, I'll be right over!" Finishing her plate of food, she moved over, giving her friends each a hug, careful to not spill her food in the process. It had been almost a full year since she had last seen them, so she wasn't surprised to feel her eyes sting with unfallen tears. With their chosen career, she never knew who she would be able to see again in the future, and who she had unknowingly already seen the last of.

"It's great to see you both, truly." She gave a laugh, wiping a tear from her eye, careful not to smudge her makeup.

"You too Petra, though I don't think either of us were worried for you, what with you working on such an elite squad now! Who's this?" her friend June asked kindly, nodding toward Eld.

Petra laughed warmly, "Oh of course, sorry. June, Lily, this is a member of my squad, Eld Jinn. He's second in command after Captain Levi. Eld, these are two of my friends from before we all got moved to Levi's squad. They are fellow Scouts as well."

"Pleasure," Eld greeted them kindly, turning toward Petra, "Well, I think I'll leave you so you can catch up, but I'll keep tabs on you. Flag me down if you need another rescuing."

Laughing again, Petra nodded, "Alright, I'll hold you to that! See you around!"

Petra began chatting with her friends, conversing about how life had been for each of them, though a majority of their talk hovered around the subject of a certain Captain, who was still undoubtedly plastered against a wall somewhere.

"So what's he really like?" Lily asked, taking a cookie off Petra's plate and biting into it before placing it back with a triumphant grin.

"Hey thief, I saw that." Petra giggled, not at all offended by the action, "It's hard to say really, I mean what's there to say? He's quiet I guess, pretty reserved." Petra wondered how to choose her words carefully without making him look like a complete jerk. Reserved wasn't quite the right word, was it?

In truth, to someone outside looking in, they likely would consider the Captain to be a rude, unpleasant person, but Petra found that these actions were all exterior. In reality, she knew Levi was a very conflicted, purposed individual who, if anything, was unable to properly communicate how much he did indeed care to an ever-watching world– a world that never truly wanted to understand anyway. To many people, Levi would never be anything more than a living, breathing weapon.

To Petra, Levi was strong, but not because of his physical skill, though of course he was always impressive on the field. Petra felt he was strong because of how he always kept moving forward. She knew he had lost so many people, but he never let it halt his resolve. His determination was nothing short of inspirational, and always drove Petra to fight with more purpose when he was around. True, he was rough around the edges, but once she learned to see past that, she found she legitimately liked the Captain, as more than just a commanding officer, but as a person.

"He's…nice." Petra summarized, only feeling slightly guilty at her choice of words. 'Nice' was far from an accurate depiction of Levi - or at least incredibly lacking - but how to explain someone like Levi to her friends in such a causal conversation? Petra found it was just easier to lie.

As she nibbled at her plate of food, she listened to her friends gush about their previous expeditions, new techniques and formations they had been working on, and regaling any bit of gossip they had managed to hear throughout the past year. It was so refreshing to just relax and talk with her friends. She had always enjoyed get-togethers like this, because if only for a few hours, she felt _normal._

While Levi had made it fairly obvious that he did not appreciate such an event, Petra had always enjoyed it because, if only for a few hours of the day, she felt like there was more to life than fear and Titans. For a few hours, talk wasn't focused on who had the best kill record, but rather who was wearing the best dress. As superficial as it may have been, Petra enjoyed it because it gave her hope that maybe, just maybe, one day her life would have nothing more to it than gossip, light hearted garden parties, and plentiful food. She wouldn't have to spend her life constantly tipping back and forth on the fine line that was survival, and with any luck, she would have a real future.

As simple as it was, All Walls Day was one of those reminders to her that, perhaps one day, things would be different.

As they continued talking, Petra worked on finishing her plate, looking back at the table and planning what she would get next, though she doubted how much more she would be able each without upsetting her stomach. She wasn't normally such a fanatic about food, but most of the food the military was provided throughout the year was heavily rationed and often not nutritionally balanced – and certainly not as tasty.

"Well well, look what we have here!"

Petra groaned instantly, recognizing the voice. She looked in the direction it had come from, and saw her squad mate, Aururo, make his way toward her.

"Aururo, what a surprise." Petra stated, her voice lacking any real conviction.

"And a pleasant one at that." Aururo stated arrogantly, grinning crookedly as he looked around the room, "Some party, right? Government sure knows how to throw a formal, that's for sure. You get any of the food, Petra? Its good stuff, much better than the crap we get to eat for the rest of the year." He paused as he neared her friends, looking Petra over a bit too long for just a friendly once over, "And look at _you_! You can certainly tell we are members of team Levi's squad."

Petra was taken back, "And how do you figure that?"

Aururo smirked, "Well we clean up so nicely."

Petra paused, feeling annoyed at having walked right into his ploy. She scoffed after a moment, "Is that supposed to be a joke?"

"Only if you found it to be funny."

"It wasn't funny, it was terrible." Petra stated waspishly, staring up at him with a bewildered expression.

It's not that she _disliked_ Aururo, but he had always been a bit much for her to take in. He was always talking about the strangest things, asking her the most bizarre of questions, and was always seeking her approval in some way or another. She would have liked him a thousand times more if he could just learn to let her be.

Her friends smiled at the new person, enjoying the odd bantering between the two, "Petra - so this is another squad member from your team?"

Petra smiled brightly toward her friends, her eyes shining with mischief, "Sure is ladies. This here is Aururo – living proof that even Captain Levi can have an occasional lapse in judgment from time to time."

Aururo gasped at her words, "Hey! I'll have you know that I carry my weight better than all of you. I'm almost as good as the Captain himself even!"

Almost forgetting her friends were there at all, Petra gave a bark of a laugh, turning toward Aururo further, "Oh please. Who's the one who's always whining and complaining about running command sequences or how tired they are – honestly it's a miracle the Captain puts up with you."

Aururo didn't seem all that offended by her words and only chuckled lightly, "There you go nagging at me again Petra. Here's an idea, instead of defending the Captain, how about we go have some fun and get a dance or two in."

Petra shook her head, smiling wider, "Thanks but no thanks Aururo. I'm enjoying time here with my friends, so if you don't mind-"

"Aw but where's the fun in that Petra? You can't tell me you don't like dancing, I saw you with Eld out there so you can't fool me."

Petra's smile faltered slightly. She didn't want to reject him because it really wasn't such a ridiculous request, but truth be told, she didn't really _want_ to go with him and subject herself to his general nonsense any more than she already had to.

"Well honestly-"

"If you can dance with Eld, you can dance with me – right?" Aururo smirked at her, seeing her resolve start to crumble at his persistence.

"No really Aururo, I'd much prefer to stay here. I'd like to maybe get a drink or eat some of the other foods – there's still so much to do really, and I did already have a dance so I'd like to try…" Petra knew she was rambling, but even as much as she was perturbed by him, she couldn't bring herself to flat-out say no.

"Petra dearest, give me one good reason why you can't spare a few minutes of your life to spend time with your squad mate. Really now, you're just being stubborn."

Petra opened her mouth, looking around slightly, "Well I-" she stuffed the last remaining cookie into her mouth, hoping to buy herself just a few more moments to collect her thoughts.

Aururo watched her with a quirked brow, waiting patiently for her to chew and swallow. She looked up at him nervously. He shrugged, grinning wider, "I'm waiting."

"Don't you think you've had enough?" Both Petra and Aururo visibly startled at the deep voice of their Captain.

"Captain Levi?" Petra asked, turning around slightly, shocked to see he was standing beside her, though his focus was on the nearly empty plate of food she was holding.

"I'd ask you to have more discipline but I think I would just be wasting my breath. Really now Petra, did you leave anything at all on the table for others to enjoy?" Though Levi wasn't all that much taller than Petra, he was staring down at her, a serious expression on his face.

Hearing his words, Petra couldn't help but feel entirely embarrassed, her face burning brightly as his words rang in her head. Who did he think he was saying something like that? She was not at all lacking discipline, she was-

"Captain, what are you doing here?" Petra stammered, not able to respond to his previous statements, still too shocked and insulted to form a proper response.

Levi quirked an eyebrow, looking at no one else regardless of the fact that her friends and Aururo's attention were drawn to his sudden intrusion. Levi took a step closer to Petra, grabbing the plate from her hands and handing it to Aururo without breaking eye contact, "Aururo hold this."

Petra looked from Levi, to Aururo, to her plate in wonder, then back at Levi. Before she could form a response and demand to know what the hell was wrong with him, Levi grabbed her wrist, "Let's go Petra."

He pulled her forward, almost causing her to trip at the sudden forced motion. Levi walked away swiftly, dragging behind him a very flustered and rightfully confused Petra.

"Captain!" Petra squeaked as she tried desperately to not run into people, "What _are_ you doing?"

Levi didn't respond, simply pulling her along further until they were in the middle of the dance floor. With a smooth pull of his wrist, he caused Petra to spin ever so slightly toward him until she was standing directly in front of him. Her eyes were wide with confusion, caught in the moment as she took in their new surroundings.

Levi shifted his hand ever so slightly, wrapping his hand around hers and placing the other around her hip.

Looking slightly at their new position, Petra looked at her hand that was held secure in Levi's. Her hand fell slack slightly, though Levi's grip tightened and he pulled her slightly closer, shooting her a look of irritation.

Petra gulped slightly, feeling his stare. She found it was difficult to meet his gaze, and while she would have liked to think of herself as a confident individual, she started to feel very self conscious at being so close to him. "Captain, I…" Petra's voice died down, at a loss for words.

"You stated you wanted to dance earlier." He stated plainly.

Petra nodded, slowly placing her hand on his shoulder, though trying to place as little pressure as possible in her hand, still not fully believing that Levi was actually attempting to dance with her, "Yeah but you said you didn't like dancing."

"I don't." Levi confirmed, taking a first step and leading her with the beat of the music.

Petra allowed him to lead her across the floor, trying to control her wavering nerves. Not that long ago she had been dancing with Eld and she certainly wasn't nervous or second guessing each step she took like she was now. She could feel her face heat up slightly as she looked over at her hand clasped in Levi's. It was a small gesture, in fact it was certainly all for formality's sake than anything else, but there was a part of her that was thrilled that Levi was holding her hand so contently. Regardless her unsorted thoughts, Petra gave a small smile.

Levi's hand was surprisingly warm.

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**That's all for chapter one. Originally I had planned on this being a lengthy one shot, however as I kept writing I felt it was getting long enough to where it would need to be a two shot instead.**

**Rest assured most of the second chapter is already written, so this piece will be finished and listed with the last half of the story hopefully by this coming Monday (the 22nd). Until then though, thanks for reading, and see you soon for Chapter Two!**

**~Midnight**


	2. Chapter 2

**And hello again readers! I tried to post the last half of the story as quickly as possible so it would be completely finished before Christmas – didn't that turn out well? Took a bit longer than I had wanted, but I am really, really happy with this!**

**Shoutout goes to both Ghosteyes444** **and FrostyCakes for having reviewed the previous chapter between when I posted and now. I always love the encouragement, so from me to you, Merry whatever-it-is-that-you-celebrate, and have a great upcoming year – Thanks so much for the support and kind words!**

**Of course to everyone, thanks for sticking around for the last chapter, and enjoy the read :)**

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Petra swallowed thickly, looking down at her feet and watching them move in time, mirroring the Captain's. After having been completely insulted for no reason about her apparent 'overeating' and then promptly drug away to dance without even being able to say goodbye, Petra had expected that the moment the song ended, Levi would disappear without explanation. Much to her surprise however, when the song came to a close he simply stood there until the next song started, and their dancing resumed.

They hadn't really spoken much, and Petra found that she was still so flustered that she still couldn't look at the Captain. She was feeling far too many things at once, causing herself to lack the ability to properly express herself. Her heart pounded loudly as nerves continued to get the best of her, and she couldn't deny that a part of her was truly flattered that Levi had decided to dance with her. However, another large part of her was mortified that he had said something so awful before, and in such a public setting too! That same part of her wanted nothing more than to give him a serious whatfor and berate him for just being so...so rude! She understood that Levi was _not_ one that was often held to any sort of accountability on his social skills, but there was no reason for him to behave so terribly. Had she not been tolerant of his lack of manners the entire evening? _Why_ did he have to go out of his way to insult her?

By the time she gathered her courage to speak her mind on the matter, she realized that it would do no good. She would looked up at him with a determined expression, for she was nothing if not determined, and she knew that the moment she would look at his face, she would be intimidated almost immediately. She supposed it couldn't be helped really. Levi would have his typical expressionless face, with a possible glare mixed in that would remind her of her place, and thus serve to intimidate her thoroughly. Thus, by all accounts, Petra decided that she would just save the time and energy and continue watching the ground in forlorn silence.

"Are my feet really that interesting?" she heard Levi's voice, and Petra had to take a deep breath as she felt herself getting frustrated at the irony of the situation. The entire evening thus far, she had been waiting with baited breath for Levi to talk with her, however, now was the _one_ time that she was hoping he would be his normal self and ignore her entirely.

Petra glanced up slightly, looking over his shoulder as she gave a forced laugh, trying to be amicable regardless of her mixed feelings, "Sorry Captain, I was just…thinking," she stated slowly as she tried to form a polite response. From her peripheral vision, she could indeed see Levi's stare; his eyes still boring into hers and making a shiver run down her spine at its intensity.

"About my feet?" he stated quickly, his voice still low, though she could swear she could hear a hint of amusement.

Petra inwardly scowled. Was he doing this on purpose? Did he somehow know she was wishing she were anywhere else because he was being thoroughly intimidating, _as usual_? Though she couldn't really prove it one way or another, Petra suspected that the Captain knew just what he was doing, and this only served to irritate her further.

"No, I was not." Petra stated, her voice taking a sudden icy edge.

"That's good." Levi stated plainly, his voice sounding casual, "I was starting to wonder if you knew how to dance actually, the way you keep watching the floor like that." She could see him smirk slightly, and her eyes narrowed, "Plus there's the fact you've gotten so quiet. Are you counting out the steps in your head?"

Petra ground her teeth. With that look in his eye and the way he spoke, she was certain of it now – he was teasing her. While a small part of her took in that knowledge with a bit of joy at the fact he saw her as someone he _could_ joke around with, she told that part of her to shut the hell up because it was Walls Eve, she was dancing, she was being insulted, she was with Levi, her emotions were a mess, and she was miserable. Why was it all so complicated?

"I know how to dance." Petra summarized quickly, trying to bring the conversation to an end.

"If you insist," he responded simply, "but if you'd like I could warn you before we do a turn or something other than the basic steps so you don't get confused."

Petra clicked her tongue as she pressed her lips together, frustrated by his little _unwanted_ assessment. "That won't be necessary Captain, but thanks for the offer."

Turning out his arm for her to spin, Petra moved outward in step, spinning around in time with the music before returning back in front of him, seeing a smirk still at his lips.

Petra huffed at his expression, pressing her lips together into a thin line. What the hell did he find so funny?

"I'm actually surprised _you_ know how to dance Captain." Petra stated, attempting to change the direction of the conversation off from herself in hopes that it would calm her rising emotions. However, her voice was still low and clearly irritated. She had never been all that good at masking her emotions when it came down to it, and with Levi seeming to go out of his way to goad her, Petra was becoming flustered rather quickly.

"I've been to enough of these pathetic events to learn, it's not really that hard." He quirked an eyebrow, then somehow his smirk grew even more pronounced. Petra's stomach flipped as she dreaded the words that she somehow knew were coming, "However some people pick it up better than others, so it seems."

"Did I do something to offend you Captain?" Petra asked as she glared towards him, almost cutting off his words as he insulted her yet again. Petra tried to remind herself that they were only tiny comments and that she shouldn't rise to his antics, but he was really starting to piss her off! First, he came and for no reason explained that she had eaten way too much, _which_, Petra reviewed in her mind, was a complete lie. The way he had been talking, it made it seem as though she had eaten the entire banquet by herself, which was, of course, physically impossible. Practically speaking, she had only had enough to fill up one single plate and a few cookies, which by no means was over indulgence. The fact she even had to mentally defend herself was ridiculous.

Aside from that, he now was insulting her dancing, which also came out of nowhere. She could dance just fine; in fact, she knew she could dance rather well. She had yet to miss a step, had never once fought him for the lead, and was in rhythm when they preformed more intricate sequences of each dance. She knew that she could move with grace through the songs – if she could fly through the trees with skill and agility, she could learn a few easy dance steps.

"Offend?" Levi repeated, "How have I given you that impression?"

Petra opened her mouth, huffing slightly as she tried to organize her thoughts, "Well you've been so…" She bit her lip as tried to find the right word.

"So…?" Levi continued, his eyebrow rose slightly as he stared blankly at her.

"I don't know!" she stammered, so frustrated that instead of moving backwards, she took a step forward, causing herself to crash abruptly into Levi - she would have fallen over entirely if he hadn't been holding onto her.

Smooshed against him slightly, Petra froze, closing her eyes in dismay as embarrassment coursed through her. Just as she was about to pull herself back upwards, she heard Levi's voice which cause her to stop in place for an extended moment.

"Petra?"

She slowly looked up at Levi, a grimace on her face, "Yes, Captain?"

"You're standing on my foot."

Something about the way he was looking down at her, or his tone of voice, or his expression – Petra couldn't point to just what exactly, but with a click of her tongue, Petra stood up fully.

_That_ was the last straw.

She dropped her arms to her side, glaring at the Captain and knowing all too well her face was bright red once again. She took a sharp inhale and felt her lips pull into a thin line. With whatever trace of dignity she had left, Petra nodded curtly toward Levi, not caring that they were in the middle of the song, "Thank you for the dance Captain. Excuse me."

Without even sparing a further glance, Petra stormed off the floor, wondering to herself what in the world had gotten into Levi for him to so pointedly go out of his way to tease her and make her night utterly terrible! Shaking her head, Petra looked around the area to see where her friends might have gone off to, though, as she surveyed the crowds, she noticed that Levi had started walking after her. Eyes widening, Petra quickly pondered her options as her blood started pumping through her veins with anxiety, speeding up her walk considerably. He was chasing after her? While the moment seemed surreal to Petra, she couldn't deny the sudden feeling of dread that washed over her. Really, she just wanted him to leave her alone. If all he was going to do was mock her, she simply didn't want to be near him. Was that so terrible?

Besides, if she could escape the Titans, certainly she could escape Levi right?

Petra frowned at that thought, deciding to speed up even more. Levi was stronger than the Titans and certainly much faster, meaning that he was sure to catch up with her one way or another if she wasn't thinking on her feet. Petra looked over her shoulder, horrified that Levi was still following after her; a now pronounced scowl across his face as he cut around groups of fellow participants. At one point, he almost entirely ran over one lady in his pursuit, and Petra became instantly determined to not be caught with him being in such a state. Starting to weave in and out of the crowds to evade him, Petra looked around again at her surroundings, finally smirking upon seeing her perfect escape route.

"Petra Ral." She heard his voice call out, though she pretended to not have heard and continued onward.

While she couldn't believe how childish this was starting to become, Petra laughed slightly as though she were getting away with something, darting across the room with as much grace as she could until she finally slipped into the girl's bathroom.

Feeling victorious as she disappeared into the small powder room, Petra turned towards the doorway, "Ha!" she stated loudly, not sure if he would actually hear her or not, though she did receive a strange look from a fellow woman who was washing her hands.

"Oh, sorry." Petra mumbled, "I just…date problems."

The girl gave a slow nod that showed she clearly doubted her sanity before she left, shooting her one last look of concern before heading out.

Petra gave a small, nervous laugh, not quite believing she had actually managed to get away from Levi, even if the method was perhaps a bit underhanded. Taking a seat at the bench along the wall, Petra exhaled slightly. Never would have she believed that she would reach a point where she wanted to run _away_ from him, but odder still, she would never have believed that Levi would have actually chased after her. In any other circumstance, she would have been flattered that Levi found her worth pursuing, but in this particular case, she doubted it was for anything other than to hassle her for leaving in the first place.

Taking the time to relax and unwind, Petra pushed a stray piece of hair out of her face. When she had been getting ready earlier, she had wondered how the night would turn out, suspicious that perhaps it would be less than enjoyable. She wasn't sure why she was so surprised by the fact that her predictions had been spot on, but she secretly wished that Levi would have proved her wrong.

With a collective breath after feeling that a considerable amount of time had passed, Petra stood and turned toward the mirror, adjusting her dress slightly as she reviewed her reflection. Truth be told, she did look fairly stressed out even now. Her face was still tinted red from her emotionally charged state, but at least her hair and makeup were still in place and hadn't been too destroyed from the night's events.

Taking another long moment to force herself to calm down, Petra stared back at herself in the mirror seriously, trying to give herself a pep talk of sorts. While she had no idea what was in the Captain's head, she was not about to let him destroy the rest of her evening. Hopefully, by the time she left the bathroom, Levi would be long gone and she could resume the party's celebrations the way she normally would.

There was still so much to do and people to catch up with, and time was running out. She had friends in different regiments of the military, and there were also people from her trainee squad that she heard were still in the service. As annoying as the first part of her night had been, or at least the part spent beside Levi anyhow, there was no need to allow her entire night to be compromised as well.

Petra readjusted her hair and carefully rubbed her eyes free of any smudged or smeared makeup. Checking her teeth and giving herself a final once over, Petra moved back towards the door, certain that she had been inside long enough to discourage a certain Captain from waiting around for her.

Moving out of the bathroom's entryway, Petra looked out around the large room for what she wanted to do first, though after only getting a few feet outside the door, Levi's voice made her stop cold in her tracks.

"About time you came out. I was starting to think you were having trouble."

Any peace Petra had been able to find previously was instantly shattered, immediately being replaced with a torrent of complete exasperation. She had been in the bathroom for _at least_ twenty minutes, had he seriously stood outside the entire time? Petra shook her head firmly as she looked toward him spitefully. Of course he had.

"That's why you don't eat that much, it causes horrible constipation."

Petra coughed slightly at hearing his words, feeling her patience run dangerously thin, "Why are you here Captain?" her question was very pointed, and she stared at him with crossed arms, conveying every bit of annoyance she was feeling.

Levi returned her gaze easily, not at all perturbed, "You left in the middle of the dance and went off to hide away in the bathroom like a coward. That's pretty rude."

"Rude?" Petra stated, her voice hushed to not make a scene, though she could feel harshness in the way that she spoke, "_I'm_ being rude? Well forgive me Captain for my lapse of manners!" her voice had raised slightly in volume, though she somehow managed to not grab the attention of onlookers, "Perhaps I just don't know how to properly respond to a commanding officer who has _abused_ his authority and order I spend the evening with him; something he really has no business doing, actually."

Petra watched as Levi's face went from shocked, then shifted to his more common, bored, expressionless state. Regardless of his calm demeanor, she knew she had struck a nerve. His reaction, or seemingly lack thereof, was not one of boredom, but of defense.

Petra continued, placing a hand to her temple as she spoke, frustration coursing through her, "Dammit Levi, did you think that _maybe_ if you would have asked me, I would have said yes? Do you think that _maybe _I would have gone with you, simply because you are my friend, and I appreciate that bond we have? That _maybe_ that alone makes it worth my spending time with you?"

Petra looked up at him, glaring into his eyes that were clouded with some unnamable emotion. Even if he wasn't saying anything and even if he didn't care, she was determined to get it through his thick, pompous skull that he had crossed the line, and she was _not_ pleased, "And then there's the fact that this entire time you've treated me like dirt. I'll have you know I spent a considerable amount of time getting ready, and I don't care if you have to lie through your teeth, you should have said I looked nice or something. It's just common courtesy Levi, especially after putting me on the spot like that. You shut down any conversation I attempted to make, _then_ you came out of nowhere and made fun of me, pretty much calling me fat-"

"I did not call you fat."

"Shut up." Petra stated quickly, raising her hand as she glared at him, "I am _not_ finished."

She pressed her lips together as Levi gave her a look that clearly read 'I'm waiting' and that alone fueled her to keep berating him further, "You might _as well_ have called me fat then, in front of my friends, who you then dragged me away from – Goddesses only know if I'll be able to see them _ever_ again - you dragged me to the dance floor which, I'll admit, was slightly thrilling, but more so dreadful because you spent the _entire_ time glaring at me and making fun of me until I was a nervous wreck! And don't you _dare_ say that you didn't know what you were doing."

Petra paused as she took in a shaky breath, then pointed at him, "Even now, here you are being a royal pain in the ass! Well enough, Levi. I am calling you out because this is getting ridiculous. Either stop being such a _jerk_, or leave me alone!"

By the end, Petra was huffing slightly, and it seemed she had somewhat forgotten herself because the surrounding participants were all staring at her, then at Levi, waiting for a response. Levi seemed to have also noticed the stares of others, because with a single icy glare toward the onlookers, people quickly returned to their lives and pretended not to notice the arguing pair.

"You seem to feel strongly about this," came his simple reply, and Petra rolled her eyes, wondering if he even cared at all that he had almost single handedly ruined her favorite event of the year.

Petra shook her head, finding she just didn't understand him and his blatant disregard for others, "_I_ feel strongly about this? Captain, say what you will about me, but it is _you_ who feels strongly about this holiday because you have gone far out of your way to be miserable." Petra shrugged slightly as she tried to explain herself, "And actually, that's okay, truly. You don't have to like the holiday, and you don't have to like the party – but you know what else you don't have to do? Drag me down with you."

She paused, feeling less anger, but now more conflicted by the entire circumstance, "I just don't understand Captain. Walls Day is my favorite holiday - not a fact I would expect you to know per say - but to anyone even _slightly_ paying attention, they would at least know I _liked_ the holiday. Even knowing that though, you still had to be so…" Petra shook her head, looking toward Levi as she once again tried to grasp at the right word.

She knew that he was listening, and she knew that he was somehow being affected, but as his eyes started back at her as if it were just any normal conversation, the word finally came to Petra, and she frowned with realization, "…So cold."

A small, sort of smirk came to Levi's lips as his gaze bored into her, "You think so, huh?"

Petra gave a firm nod, "I do."

While she couldn't believe she had just said all that to him and with a straight face no less, she didn't regret a word. His gaze didn't intimidate her in her current state, not when she was firm in her resolve to stand up for herself. His behavior didn't change anything - she still cared, she still thought he was every bit as amazing and awe-inspiring as he had always been before, but she wasn't blinded by her admiration. If he wanted to break outside the strict business relationship and maybe be friends, she would be happy to meet him halfway, but she would not be trampled on – not for him, not for anyone. No, he would have to treat her with equal respect like anyone else, and that meant being held accountable to his demeanor.

Levi held her gaze for a long moment, and Petra found she could only stare back with equal intensity, waiting for him to respond. Levi then took a step closer to Petra, speaking pointedly, "I think you look…" he took a slight breath as though also grasping for the right word, his voice firm with conviction, "Stunning, Petra."

At first not quite believing she could possibly be hearing right, Petra's eyes widened and she blinked a few time in surprise. As his words fully resonated, Petra gave a small warm smile. She knew Levi would never give a straight 'I'm sorry' and she had no intentions of dragging such words out of him anyway. For him to say something so sincerely though…perhaps Levi would still manage to prove her wrong yet. Petra pondered the idea for a small moment, feeling a small amount of excitement at the notion.

Without needing any further reassurance from him, Petra grabbed his arm, linking hers in his and unable to not laugh at the odd expression he gave her. Perhaps she was too forgiving, but easy as that, her tension melted away. When it came down to it, she would rather just enjoy herself than to spend another moment contemplating the complicated natures of Levi. If he started to be a jerk again, she could at least know that she gave it her best effort and leave him be. However, if he decided to give her, for the first time ever, a real compliment, then Petra wasn't beyond having a selective memory about some of the evening's events.

She then explained to him there was things that she wanted to do, and that he should come with her. He seemed rather hesitant at first to be pulled along with Petra's every little whim – after all 'things' was hardly a descriptive word - though after watching her smile brightly and laugh at his expression, Levi gave a resigned sigh and allowed her to pull him back into the large crowds.

The time after was spent mostly with Petra going from place to place, talking with people, playing the ridiculous holiday games and forcing Levi to participate, no matter what sort of look he shot her. It was certainly far out of his comfort zone to be doing such things, especially in a public setting, and yet, Levi couldn't quite convince himself that he wasn't enjoying the festivities – if only a little, at least.

As the night began to wrap up, the traditional ending ceremony began, and the soldiers were called to the center of the large room so the speaker could be heard.

Each year, the party ended first with the names of all fallen soldiers read off one by one, then to attempt to lighten the mood, the Walls Day story of the Goddesses building the Walls was read, and the party was considered adjourned. Some people, Levi being one of them, would immediately head back to their own housings, though there were always those who liked to stay for hours and socialize with the remaining crowd. Levi was hoping that Petra wouldn't demand they stay any longer than required, though he wouldn't make a fuss one way or another if leaving 'early' would offend her.

As the year's chosen speaker began the Walls Day greetings and thanked everyone for their attendance, Levi couldn't help but roll his eyes. He had always hated the ending ceremony simply because it was a cold nuance the government established every year. Levi was not at all opposed to honoring the fallen soldiers, but it seemed like such a joke for the government to acknowledge the military only in death. There were things each regiment needed to succeed in the battle against the titans and uphold the peace, but it seemed the government could care less - yet come the end of every year they held a ridiculous party like this to honor those that had been lost. Levi couldn't help but wonder how much shorter the list of casualties would have been if government actually supported their goals.

As the names began being read off one by one, Levi stood in silence, the previous light hearted atmosphere of the room quickly changing to somber and forlorn. A slight sniffling caught his attention, and he looked over beside him to see Petra, tears running down her face as she also listened to name after name endlessly being listed.

Though there was certainly a ferocity to her character that allowed her to excel in her position as a soldier, Levi found he was quick to forget that Petra, herself as a person, was far too tenderhearted for her own good. Quietly pulling out a handkerchief from his pocket, he handed the white cloth to her in silence, though she gave a small cough of laughter as she took it from him, somewhat embarrassed so it seemed at being caught in such a state.

From the corner of his eye, Levi could see Petra wipe her eyes, her makeup smearing onto the cloth, then blow her nose before wadding the cloth up in her hands slightly. She looked over herself, her eyes widening as she looked for a spot to place the dirtied handkerchief, only now seeming to remember she was wearing a dress. For a few moments she stood dumbfounded, then tried patting herself slightly in search of a pocket, though of course to no avail.

Swallowing thickly as he grit his teeth, Levi gave a pressed sigh and carefully reached out, grabbing the moist tissue from her and quickly shoving it back into his pocket, not missing the look of complete shock from Petra, then the slight snicker that followed as she looked at his expression of disgust.

Forcing himself to not think about the snot covered rag he was now harboring, he gave a firm nod of acceptance toward Petra, knowing now was not the time or place to have a conversation about the event. Besides, he would just have her wash it later when they got back.

As the names came to an end, the speaker continued, exuberantly reading the 'hopeful' story of good tidings and goodwill the Goddess had brought to mankind upon building the Walls. The story dragged on and on, and while Levi had expected Petra to be the bleeding heart who would eat the story up word by word, he was pleasantly surprised to see she clearly looked bored, yawning from time to time as the long reading continued.

"May our lives always be this hopeful and filled with purpose in the upcoming year." The speaker stated as he set down the large scroll, "Thank you for all you do. Dismissed."

Giving a half hearted salute back as was required; Levi soon dropped his arms, looking toward Petra.

She shook her head, "Thank goodness _that's_ over. He's such a killjoy." Levi smirked at her words. Looking toward him, Petra paused, then glanced around the area once more, "Is there anything you want to do, or are we good to go?"

Levi also took a look around the area, inwardly pleased to note that Petra did not seem at all opposed to leaving, "This place makes me sick. Let's go."

Regardless his harsh words, Petra gave a smile, nodding slightly in understanding. The way the party ended each year really _was_ terrible, so she was always happy to leave the second they were dismissed in search of a not so dismal atmosphere.

Walking back toward the compound, Petra continued speaking with Levi, the conversation on the way back, while of course lacking on Levi's side, had actually been quite pleasant. He would offer a small comment or two when necessary, and would listen good-naturedly as Petra talked about whatever came to mind, having thoroughly enjoyed the latter half evening - aside from the dreadful speech of course.

"And so I plan on making more coffee, if anyone else wants to stay up late tonight and socialize." Petra continued slightly as they neared the compound's entrance.

Levi nodded as he opened the door, allowing Petra to enter first before he followed behind her.

"Will you be staying up Levi?"

"Probably. I have a few papers to review from Erwin about upcoming expeditions, so I'll be up for a while."

Petra gave a slight, 'Ah' then continued, "You know Captain; you never told me if you actually liked the coffee or not this morning." Petra wore a playful grin as she moved further down the hallway. While she didn't really expect Levi to comment on every little thing she did in life, she _did_ enjoy hassling him from time to time.

"It was…sweet." Levi decided after a moment as they walked onward and Petra quirked an eyebrow, smiling none the less as they stopped in the dining room.

"Too sweet, or like, tastes like Wall-Day-in-a-Cup amazing, wish I had this every day sort of sweet?"

Levi gave a slight snort at her choice of words, though didn't confirm his thoughts one way or another. Petra grinned at his expression, letting the subject die.

Taking a moment, Petra stretched her arms upward, yawning before suddenly pausing in motion, holding her arms in the air still.

Seeing Petra somewhat stuck in her odd position mid-stretch, Levi shot her a questioning glance, though it was lost on her as her focus was elsewhere, "What is it?"

"The clock." Petra mumbled, her voice quiet with awe.

Levi looked at her a moment longer then looked toward the clock in question, seeing no strange details to its appearance; at least, not any that warranted such behavior, "It's twelve fifteen…" Levi stated slowly, watching Petra with interest because whatever she found to be fascinating was not apparent to him.

Petra dropped her arms slowly, turning her head gently from the clock toward Levi, "Exactly."

Before he could respond, Petra folded her hands in front of her, turning fully towards Levi with a radiant, genuine smile that he had never seen from her before, "…It's Walls Day."

Her voice was warm and kind, and with the way she was looking at him, Levi found he could only give the smallest of smiles back, "That it is."

Petra smiled still, shocked that Levi was giving her a smile – or at least half of one anyways. "It _is_ Walls Day," Petra repeated, "Just a second, I'll be right back."

Without another word further, Petra moved out of the kitchen and headed towards her room, humming to herself slightly as she moved through her desk, sorting through the various boxes of wrapped gifts she had managed to buy in town earlier that day.

She had successfully been able to find a gift for everyone, even Aururo. None of the gifts were spectacular or anything, but she had been determined to get something for each of her Squad mates, if only to say thank you for all the good times and laughs they had shared in the year previous.

Double checking the name tags, Petra grabbed the present that was for Levi, a small flutter of nervousness coursing through her as she wondered how he might take it, but her nerves were not nearly as powerful as her current holiday spirit. So, holding the box in her hands, Petra left her room quickly, returning back towards toward the dining hall.

"Captain!" Petra called, looking around the area for him, though he was nowhere to be seen.

"In here." She heard his voice call out from a different corridor, and Petra started in that direction. Moving down into the hallway, she suspected that Levi had moved into his temporary room within the compound as well.

While most of the Scout regiment had been given traditional military housing, because of the unique standing of the Special Ops Squad, they had been giving their own entire compound for their time in Sina. Truth be told, it wasn't all that different from how things normally were in Wall Rose actually. While the location was certainly different, with her upgraded position in the Scout Regiment, Petra had long been used to having her own room and space that was separate from the rest of the Survey Corps. While at times it did get lonely only having a handful of people to interact with, it certainly made things, such as getting ready or changing each morning, much less stressful.

Nearing the room she believed to be Levi's, she noted the door was already open, though she knocked on the wood frame anyway for formality's sake.

"Come in," Levi stated from within the room, though Petra couldn't quite see him from her current angle.

Taking a step into his room, Petra took a small look around the area, smiling to herself at how perfectly organized everything was. Granted there hadn't been all that much time to make a mess of the area – they had only been there for a few days after all – but Levi's perfectionist nature could easily be seen if one knew what they were looking for.

His bed was made without a wrinkle to be seen, the floor was free of anything being set on it like shoes or dirty laundry, and even the paper on his desk was aligned perfectly in the direct center of the desktop.

Petra felt like laughing to herself, though she managed to keep her composure and looked towards Levi cheerfully. He was standing near the closet, holding a hanger as he pulled his suit jacket around it, then placed the hanger back in the closet before closing the small door.

Looking toward Petra, he moved toward the desk silently, though the atmosphere was far from tense. After a small moment, Levi spoke, "The squad should be returning here soon if you want to get started on the coffee. Are you... wanting my help?" he stated, trying to be polite, though his real unstated questions was towards the line of asking what she needed, or perhaps why she had sought him out further.

Petra held the box she had carried just a bit tighter, then brought the small object higher so it would draw his attention, "Don't be silly Captain. I don't need any help or anything, I mean, I do manage to make coffee each morning without anyone after all. I wanted to give you this!" She smiled warmly at his odd expression, feeling the need to explain herself, even though by all accounts it should have been obvious already, "It's for Walls Day! I know it's not much, but I wanted to get you something, so… here you go! Merry Walls Day Captain Levi!"

Levi cocked his head slightly, seeming hesitant at best, "Aren't you a little old for Walls Day presents?" he stated, looking down at the small box as though it were unclean, then back at her with a similar expression.

Petra shook her head, finding herself smirking, "Aren't you a little too well mannered to be complaining like this?"

His expression narrowed, "Hardly."

Petra was in too good of a mood for his words to intimidate her like they normally would. She tried to not laugh further, regardless how amusing she found his behavior to be, "Don't be such a bore Captain, I bought gifts for everyone - this one is yours. Now open it up or I'll use it myself." Petra smirked mischievously, adding quietly "But I'll warn you, you'll be sorry if you miss out."

Petra looked down at the small box she held. The box itself small enough to rest in her palm – not quite so small where she could wrap her fingers around it fully, but small none the less. When considering how to prepare the gift, she had decided not to waste her funds on intricate wrapping paper that would just be thrown away. After searching through the compound when she returned from her shopping, she had managed to find some old brown paper bags she was able to repurpose, and she managed to use that for wrapping instead.

Levi quirked an eyebrow as he studied her, uncertain if he should be amused by the odd look in her eye. He wasn't quite sure how to respond to her childlike excitement either. While Petra was one of the more spirited members of his squad, this side of her wasn't one he was familiar with. He sighed lowly at her resolve, slowly out turning his hand for Petra to place the small wrapped box in, watching her uneasily.

Grinning ear to ear in victory, she placed the box in his hands, watching eagerly as he neatly unfolded the brown paper piece by piece, and after carefully setting the paper aside on his desk, he started to investigate the container for what treasure might be held inside.

Petra smiled watching him, "Any guesses Captain?"

He looked up at her for a moment, then took the lid off the box, which caused Petra to shake her head at his antics, "That's cheating Levi."

She could hear the smallest 'hmph' of amusement from him, and Petra could only smile wider as she watched him take out the small tin contained inside. Opening the metal container, Levi looked inside, smelling the contents upon recognizing it, "It's tea," he stated plainly, though his voice held a sort of softness to it.

Petra nodded proudly, knowing that regardless his mellow response, he was quite pleased, "Predictable I know, but its best not to over think these things right? While I don't know much about tea – Father was a carpenter so we never crossed paths with finer things of life too often – the clerk said it was a blend that's best served as a milk tea. I talked to Hanji about it, and you'll have to thank her because she was able to pull some strings to get a few extra rations of milk. That's her Walls Day gift to you."

Levi listened to her explanation in silence, smelling the blend again; able to appreciate the warm and sweet earthy scent that black tea always held. It was a breakfast tea then – appropriate since the only time they ever got to lounge around and relax was in the early mornings.

She continued, "Now I know how to make the coffee, but I'm afraid that tea is a bit outside my expertise-"

"I can show you." Levi stated quickly, almost cutting her off. He was still focused on the tin container, and though his face was relatively as expressionless as always, his eyes were lit slightly - something Petra was beginning to see was a trait Levi couldn't mask so easily. As stoic as Levi often was, his eyes were often quick to give away his emotions. He couldn't fully hide his irritation or sadness, much less any other predominant emotion.

As she watched him, he continued looking down at the box in silence, deeply concentrated, so it seemed, until his brows pulled downward slightly.

"…What's wrong?" Petra asked slightly alarmed, wondering if somehow the gift offended him.

Levi shook his head slightly, if only to acknowledge that he heard her, though he found he was speaking more to himself than to his worried subordinate, "No it's nothing…" his voice was barely above a whisper. If there had been any background noise, Petra likely wouldn't have been able to hear him at all, "It's just that, I can't remember ever getting a Walls Day gift before."

Petra felt her mouth drop slightly as he spoke, feeling her heart break at his words. To have lived all this time and not once gotten a single Walls Day present?

Levi's quiet voice continued, "When we were younger, my friends we-" he sighed slightly, seemingly trying to recollect his thoughts, "Times were different then, things like presents were not…"

Levi stopped speaking then, taking a deep breath before placing the tin back in the box, a conflicted expression on his face as he placed the lid back, then set the box gently down on the study table beside him. He looked up at her, his usually blank face so conflicted and raw that Petra felt he was seeing straight through her, to her very core. His words resonated deeply within her, "Thank you, Petra."

His gaze held her, and Petra couldn't help but blush at the intensity in his eyes. Before she had found that very same look to be intimidating, to the point where she couldn't even look back at him, however now it had the opposite effect. She didn't think she could look away even if she wanted to. Had Petra ever seen such a true response before from anyone? No, certainly not from her friends, not from _anyone_ she could think of. Cold? Petra felt foolish for ever having thought such a thing about Levi.

She blinked a few times, wishing that she had better control over her emotions, praying silently that she wouldn't cry in front of the Captain as his words rang in her ear. In her life, she had so many blessed memories and so many happy times to recall - that's part of why she loved Walls Day so much even now in her adult life. What would it have been like to grow up, watching it all from a distance - to have grown up without that source of hope?

Petra gave a broken smile, taking a step toward him, "All Walls day was always special to me. Father and I, we never could afford anything fancy, but just being together… being with someone you care about is what makes the holiday so special."

She smiled warmly, feeling a single tear slide down her face as she thought about the evening, and the fact that through it all, she really wouldn't have changed a single detail, "So really, truly Captain, it's me who should be thanking you."

Levi wasn't looking at her, but she could see it in his face; he was listening, waiting for her to speak further. She found that even if he didn't feel the same, even if her too deep feelings weren't returned, she wanted him to understand. It wasn't often they ever had time like this, where it wasn't the military and mission reports and training. Today, in this moment, it was just her, and her Captain. Somehow past all the barriers and circumstances, she had broken through.

"In fact," she continued, her voice quiet as she thought over the evening, "I think I owe you an apology. I was so afraid earlier that I would have to spend Walls Day alone, and here you are with me. It's silly I guess, maybe even selfish, but I'll never forget today, not ever. Just taking me with you, sharing a dance, driving me crazy, even your negative view on the holiday - it was time spent together and I'm sorry I complained when you were going out of your way to just be there."

Petra laughed, shaking her head, "True it was unconventional and you really _were_ being a jerk - I don't regret saying that much, but you spent most of the entire formal by my side, and I should never be ungrateful for _that_, not when time is so fleeting and so valuable."

She paused, not sure if any of her ideas were connecting anymore. She looked up at Levi, hoping that she was able to express her sincerity and that he could understand her message, even if she wasn't able to perfectly puts words to it. She smiled ever so slightly, "I mean… It _really_ means a lot to me that you chose to spend the evening with me, Levi."

Before she knew what she was doing, Petra leaned closer to him, placing her hand gently on his shoulder before lightly kissing his cheek. As sense immediately rushed back to her, Petra recoiled her hand like she had been touching fire, taking a large step back as she held her hand in front of her, rubbing it slightly as realization of what she had just done overcame her. She could see Levi from the corner of her eye, and he was visibly surprised.

She looked at the ground, mentally scolding herself for getting lost in the moment, "I'm sorry Captain, that was out of line. I guess…the holidays just make me so sentimental and I start to lose my focus and do stupid things like that. I'm really sorry, forget it happ-"

"Petra." Levi stated calmly, his voice having a standard quality of authority to it.

Slowly looking up, Petra warily made eye contact with him. As if in slow motion, Levi took a step forward, his hand ever so gently moving around to the back of her neck, pulling her closer so they were only inches apart. For a small moment, he simply stared at her, close enough where she could feel his breath against her skin. His eyes searched hers, _his_ narrowed and calculating, _hers_ wide and uncertain. Just as she was about to ask what he was doing, he tilted his head forward, his lips firmly pressing against hers.

Petra's eyes shot open wider still if that was possible, and for a moment, she fell perfectly still, unsure of what to think or do. Never would she have believed that Levi would… but he _was_. He was there, and so tangible, and so real.

Petra closed her eyes, kissing back gently, putting each moment to memory as he held her against him. While his hold was gentle, his kiss was not. His actions were purposed and precise, his lips moved over hers with possession and claim, and Petra was left breathless when he finally pulled back slightly, only to have him return once again with more fervor, making her head spin.

Her only thought was that she couldn't believe this was really happening, and that _wow_ Levi sure knew how to kiss. Unable to form much more thought than that, Petra moved her hands onto his shoulders, pulling him closer to her, deciding she didn't care if she could breath or if he was standing 'too close' or whatever her nerves had told her before.

From across the compound, Petra could suddenly hear the sound of the Compound door open and then voices of a few of her squad mates – it sounded like Gunther and Eld– echo across the area.

Petra pulled back; gently pushing Levi away as she forcibly tried to clear her mind, "It sounds like some of the guys have returned…" she trailed off, trying to avoid eye contact with him.

While her heart was beating rapidly, Petra tried to start focusing once more, not quite sure what to make of the fact that she and Levi had just kissed, really, truly kissed. As enjoyable as the experience had been and as much as Petra wanted more, it was best to bring things to a close, and quickly. He was after all, her commanding officer. Whatever it was, that small spark that had ignited between them, it was forbidden.

"Plus you've got those papers to review from Erwin." Petra stated, looking down at the ground.

"They can wait."

She could feel Levi move his hand from the back of her neck to her chin, moving her to face him, though she kept her gaze firmly rooted downward.

"The guys will be moving down the hallway any second Captain!" Petra responded quickly, not wanting the situation to escalate anymore than it had to. As it stood right now, Petra would be shooting him nervous glances for weeks, wondering what the hell he thought of her, if he was serious, or what was in his head.

Levi's gazed bored into her, and as Petra slowly looked up, she felt her brows crease slightly, begging him to understand, "_Please, _Captain."

Levi's expression didn't change and he continued to hold her against him, not at all seeming to be concerned by the fact that at any moment, they could been seen together in Levi's room, standing way too close with their arms around each other. While the action itself had been fairly innocent, there would be no doubting the nature of their position, and to say it might raise a few eyebrows would be an understatement.

With a sigh, Levi dropped his hold on her, and Petra self-consciously crossed her arms in front of herself as she took a step back. Blinking a few times as she continued to sort her thoughts, Petra brought a hand to her mouth, noticing her lips were still warm from his kiss.

"I'm going to go make the coffee I guess…" Petra stated as she took a step toward the doorway, pausing in step as she looked back at Levi, shocked to find he looked visibly… upset. His expression tore at Petra's heart.

"I meant everything I said Levi…" She stated softly, "I want you to know that."

Taking another step, Petra took one last glance back before fully leaving, moving toward the kitchen and trying to not let her emotions get the best of her.

She was being silly – it was just a kiss. It wasn't anything to freak out about, or anything that really had to change their dynamic. Didn't things like that happen between adults all the time? One person got a little too drunk, the other person maybe just lonely, and things would happen that neither really meant. People did stupid things around the holidays all the time. That was all it was, right? Certainly nothing that should cause her heart to beat so erratically or cause her breath to catch in her throat like it was now.

Moving back in the dining room, she saw Gunther and Eld chatting near the table, and she forced herself to put on a smile as she walked into the room, hoping that the sting of having walked away would dissipate soon.

"Petra!" Eld waved upon noticing her arrival, "You and Levi make it back okay?"

She nodded, carefully being nonchalant as she responded, "Captain Levi? Oh yeah he's fine. He said he needed to work on some papers so he'll be awake if anyone needs him, though I don't think we'll see too much of him tonight."

Moving closer toward the kitchen, Petra continued, "Are you guys planning on being awake for awhile yet? I want to stay up late for Walls Day so I'm gonna make more coffee – how much should I make?"

Eld smiled brightly, "A lot! I plan on staying up all night, till the sun rises."

Petra felt a true smile pull at her lips, pleased to know that she would have some company. As much as the idea of being alone on Walls Day did terrify her, the idea of being left to her thoughts right now as an even worse fate, "Gunther, what about you?"

Gunther nodded, smiling as well, "Well I can't let you guys down now can I? I'll stay up with you, but any caffeine to help the cause would be greatly appreciated."

Petra's smile brightened considerably, and though she knew she wouldn't be able to put words currently to why their friendship meant so much to her, she hoped that just spending time with them might convey her appreciation, "Alright then, I'll make a pot to get started, but if we drink coffee the way I think we will, we'll run out long before morning."

"Oh, I almost forgot." Petra stated after a moment, "I have presents for you guys too. Just a second."

Running back to her room and scooping up the remaining presents in her arms, Petra came back to the table and set the gifts down, scanning the name tags for Gunther and Eld's gift. "Here you are, Merry Walls Day guys. It's not a lot, but just a way to say thank you and all. Hope you like it."

Gunther smiled as he started unwrapping the box, "You're too good to us Petra, thank you."

Eld gave a similar response, and Petra nodded again as she moved into the kitchen, grabbing the coffee pot and starting to fill it with water. As she filled the pot, Petra couldn't help as her mind wandered back to Levi, wondering what he might be making of the circumstance – that was of course assuming that it meant anything to him at all. Even though she couldn't imagine Levi being out of sorts as he was always so cool and collected, Petra was suspicious that he was just as flustered as she was, what with that look on his face when she left.

As she set the pot down to start heating the water, Petra could hear her squad converse, their words making her heart stop. She had heard Eld's voice first, "Oh Captain, Merry Walls Day! Look what Petra got us, pretty sweet right?"

Captain? Petra's stomach churned.

She heard a small 'hn' from Levi, and before Petra was even so much as prepared to turn around to say a pleasant hello, or at least fake pleasantries as best as possible, Levi entered the room.

Petra looked over toward him, clearly surprised as he came into the room, though instead of him stopping at the doorway or sink or counter, Levi made a straight beeline toward her, not once slowing down in his walk until he was face to face, certainly too close to be considered at a comfortable distance.

Without a single word, Levi pulled Petra forward, instantly kissing her heatedly.

Petra's eyes shot open as Levi's lips moved firmly against her own, and for a small moment, Petra melted into his hold, unable to do anything else but kiss him back, reason just not able to resonate in the heat of the moment. However a moment too late, Petra realized how risky the entire circumstance was and shoved him back firmly, however unfortunately for Petra, Levi himself was rather strong, so regardless her efforts, the Captain did not move, rather pulling her even closer, showing her that he did not intend on stopping his assault until _he_ decided to.

What was he doing? Was he thinking through this at all? He couldn't have been –most of the squad was literally across the wall! If they walked in the kitchen or even leaned a chair back too far while looking this way they would undoubtedly see them. Was he hoping they'd get caught and have to explain things to the squad and Goddesses only knew who else?

As Levi pulled back from her, Petra wasn't sure what expression she was expecting to see from him, though she was thoroughly surprised when she saw he was shooting her a venomous glare.

"Captain?" Petra whispered in alarm, trying to keep her voice hushed so she wouldn't grab the attention of Eld or Gunther. She was rather curious to know how Levi could possibly think this was okay, but with that glare he was fixing her with, she was hesitant to ask. Why was he looking at her that way?_ He_ kissed _her_. Wasn't she the one supposed to be glaring at _him_?

"You were not dismissed." Levi stated flatly, his voice laced with palpable irritation.

"…What?"

"When you are having a conversation with your commanding officer, you do not just get to walk away like a damned _plebian_. You only leave upon being dismissed." Levi explained firmly, watching her with narrowed eyes.

Petra's eyes widened at his words. _Was he serious?_ Now was not the time or place for semantics! If he kept acting like this, he'd grab her squad mate's attention, what would they do then?

"Captain!" Petra wailed in frustration, hoping to put some distance in between them as she took a step back. Her plan quickly backfiring, Levi took a step forward, and continued to do so until Petra was pressed back against the counter.

He stared at her, his fierce gaze causing Petra to feel nervous and uncertain, his close proximity causing her thoughts to become quickly unsorted. Petra responded nervously, "I mean sure we were talking and and all but it wasn't a conversation or formal or anything. It was just-"

"I did _not_ dismiss you Petra." He repeated lowly, staring down at her.

Petra felt her mouth hang open, not sure she was even speaking logic with the Captain anymore, "You can't be serious Captain! This is hardly the time to-"

"Oh I agree." Levi confirmed as he cut off her words, crossing his arms as he looked down at her flustered state, "We'll resume this conversation later Petra, but for the record, you will not walk out without orders again. Are we understood soldier?"

_Resume?_ What was that supposed to mean? Feeling a blush come to her face, Petra opened her mouth, "But Levi-"

"Yes or no, Solider?" Levi's voice was firm, and as he held Petra's gaze, she knew he was not leaving any room for argument.

Petra sighed, "…Yes, Captain."

Levi gave a small smile, then very gently, moved a fallen piece of hair from her face and tucked it behind her ear, the action so gentle and sweet that Petra could only watch in awe, mystified by his actions.

"Petra?"

"Yes Captain?"

"The water's done."

"The water's…" Petra trailed off, not quite certain what he was talking about, though after a moment, she heard the small whistle of the kettle, and her eyes widened, "The water! Right!"

She moved around Levi, adding the coffee grounds as she started to brew the drink, searching the cupboards for the appropriate spices to make the coffee the same way she had in the morning. She tried to clear her mind, her heart still pounding against her rib cage at the Captain's sudden advance that certainly came out of nowhere.

Stealing a small glance over her shoulder toward Levi, he gave her a quirked eyebrow, silently inquiring what she was looking at, and she quickly adverted her gaze, focusing back on the coffee.

"Are you really going to be in your room all night doing papers?" Petra asked after a few minutes of silence as she prepared the coffee, starting to stir in the spices. She had used the silence to help clear her head, at least attempted to. With Levi now at a much more comfortable distance, it allowed her to focus on other tasks at hand – tasks that certainly weren't as confusing or emotionally involved.

Levi moved against the edge of the counter, resting against it casually, "It needs to be done."

Petra shook her head, looking up at him with a small grin, having recovered for the most part, "Well maybe you can at least stay out with us for a cup of coffee? I mean, you don't have to," Petra began, starting to pour the coffee into each individual cup, careful not to spill, "But it may be fun. I know Eld and Gunther are going to stay up all night with me, and I'll be surprised if Aururo won't do the same. It would be so much fun if you were at least there for part of it."

Looking at Petra, Levi gave a small sigh before nodding, "Alright, I'll stay for one cup of coffee with everyone, but nothing more. I have work to get done."

Petra nodded, confirming that was just enough as she grinned at him, clearly pleased that he chose to participate if only for a little while.

The following hours would be spent in each other's company, each resolved to stay awake and be together for the sunrise. The evening was full of laughter, fond memories, and an ungodly amount of caffeine. True to Petra's predictions, the team had indeed gone through their entire week's ration of coffee in a single night; though no one was worried and felt it was a worthy sacrifice for the 'cause'.

Once it started to get late enough for the sky to start to shift from night to dawn, it was suggested they all move up to the roof to watch the sun rise over Wall Sina more clearly. After bundling up and moving to the roof, the team watched the sunrise together, various holiday greeting and wishes exchanged as the colors shifted across the sky.

For Petra, she couldn't have asked for a better holiday. Never in her wildest imaginations would she have expected such closeness and camaraderie, and it filled Petra with true joy to know she was, through it all, so blessed to have the bonds she did. Never, ever, would she take it for granted.

As for a certain Captain, regardless his previous intentions of just a single cup of coffee, he would indeed stay out the entire night. His paperwork would remain forgotten until much later on in the day, and he would welcome the change when they all moved to the roof, because even if he didn't admit it, he wanted to be there together with his team as well – even for something as trivial as watching the sunrise on Walls Day. Not long after the sunrise would a certain squad member's head fall firmly against Levi, and regardless the few snickers Petra would receive for being the first to pass out, Levi would never fully be able to bring himself to push her off his chest.

Later when she awoke, Petra had given a weak smile in her half awake state, and wished Levi yet another Merry Walls Day before falling back asleep again. Levi would not be able to do anything but smile back and wish her a Merry Walls Day, knowing full well she wouldn't remember it anyway. Looking at the sun, Levi could feel Petra warm against him, and for the first time in a long time, he had felt something different. Though its existence was small like the tiniest light from a flickering candle, Levi knew its name doubtlessly.

Hope.

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**And that's all for this piece :)**

**This is a standalone so there is no follow up that will be coming (just to hopefully save that question from needing to be answered.)Thanks for all the support and patience. Happy Holidays, and Happy New year! Stay safe out there everyone!**

**Best of wishes,**  
><strong>Midnight<strong>


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